Can't seem to Recall
by Amethystfairy1
Summary: Golden eyes are all thats left recognize when Yao at last sees his baby brother again. Li Xiang thinks himself to be Leon Kirkland, adopted brother to Arthur. A spell from the brit has erased the teens memories, and Arthur has filled his head with lies. Yao will do anything to get his little brother back, but how will he free him from a curse thats been upon Leon for 156 years now?


**_For this, I take some creative license by saying that all of East Asia, including North Korea, still live in China's house. Even though that is really, really, really unlikely in the actuality of the cannon. Yeah, well, England lovers, I really do love Arthur. No joke. He's awesome and I write about him being awesome in my other stories. But in this one, he's gonna have to be the bad guy. So expect some OOC ness. I wouldn't even call it that, its more like Arthur's dark side. And no, not Oliver. Leave that freak as far away from me and my writing as possible._**

 ** _Also, it is my head cannon that it would be super cool if all the nations East Asia had gold eyes like China, so thats why I do that. Don't be complaining that I got everyones eye colors wrong, because I know the rest of them have brown eyes, I wanted to do gold, AND make it a plot point!_**

 ** _Finally languages surrounded by stars in speech "*like this*" just mean that they aren't speaking the native language. Basically, if they're in England, and there are stars, they aren't speaking english. If they are in China, and there are stars, they aren't speaking chinese. I also alternate the names Leon and Li Xiang for Hong Kong, because it has to do with the story._**

 ** _So please enjoy!_**

* * *

Yao was packing up his things to leave for a world conference in England, the rest of his siblings were doing the same in their own rooms.

All except one.

The chinese mans gaze shifted to an old family portrait, the last one that was complete. They had a family portrait done every hundred years. The most recent of which had been with a camera. This old portrait was with paint on canvas, and it featured a wide eyed nine year old boy with a long ponytail that mirrored Yao.

China felt a pang in his heart. Li Xiang had been taken from them decades ago. They hadn't seen him in so long. Not since England burnt his home, infested his country with disgusting drugs, and taken away his youngest brother.

Yao had been unable to do anything. All he could do was watch and cry as he listened to Li Xiang screaming for him to come. Until those screams faded out, and he couldn't hear his baby brothers voice anymore.

It had taken a while to recover, for the entire family. Now he could watch from the bridge that separated Hong Kong from the rest of China as the city grew and grew. It scared Yao to know that as the city grew, Li Xiang grew with it. His appearance will have completely changed by now.

Shaking his head, Yao massaged his temples. He'd been forced to make up with Arthur, but he'd never forgiven the brit. How could he, when Arthur hadn't even made an attempt to convince his government to return Hong Kong to them? Scowling, Yao stuffed the rest of his things into his bag and strode off towards the door, shouting over his shoulder that he'd wait in the car.

 ** _At the World Summit._**

Yao tapped his foot impatiently as he listened to America go on and on about how everyone should chip in to help him build a genetically engineered super hero. He'd already presented this idea fifteen times and every time he'd been turned down, when was he going to figure out that it would never for the life of him be approved?

At long last, America was finished, as Belgium stepped up to give her short piece, Yao's gaze slid to the side, out the window, he frowned when he realized there was a teenager here. That certainly was strange, was he a representation? Perhaps a new nation, or, Yao shuddered, maybe Sealand made some new micro nation friends and this teen was a member of the club.

The kid was seated out on the patio, a book in one hand, a cup of tea in the other. He had a pair of headphones on and an MP3 rested in his lap. He looked like he was simply enjoying the nice weather. Surprisingly, there was no rain. The boy wore a plain white undershirt with black pants and shoes. He wore a black vest overtop with a black ribbon tie. The way he was dressed suggested he was, indeed, there for the meeting, but he wasn't inside, which was strange. Perhaps he'd simply bailed on the meeting?

Yao wouldn't blame him, he was strongly considering doing the same.

By the time Yao had stopped studying the boy outside, Belgium had finished her speech, and Germany called for lunch. The four thousand year old man nimbly dodged Italy, who instantly went tearing out the door to find some pasta, and walked outside.

The eldest of asia was very curious about that young man with the book and the headphones. Once he turned the corner outside, he saw something more surprising then the boy himself. England was out, under the rare beaming sun, apparently having taken an alternate route to China, and was lecturing the boy.

"Leon, I told you to stay home!"

"Like, got bored." The young man replied.

Yao raised an eyebrow at the voice.

Odd, the young man had a cantonese accent when he spoke english.

Arthur massaged his temples. "And of all the places to go when you're bored, you came to the meeting hall?"

Leon shrugged, "I like the patio here."

"We have a patio at home!"

"Your point being?"

Yao liked this boy more and more by the minute, he was completely uncaring to Arthur's orders, and he didn't seem fazed, even when the brit started shouting at him.

Finally, Britain tossed her arms into the air in defeat.

"You're impossible!"

"I try." The teen replied with ease, a victorious smirk on his face.

"Alright, fine, you can stay, just, whatever you do, don't go bothering any of the other representatives, will you?"

"I'll be sure to hide frogs in all of their bags, don't you worry."

"Leon!" Arthur roared.

"Bloody hell, take a joke."

The boy named Leon gave an airy laugh.

"I got it, don't bug anyone, no prob, now leave me to finish my book in peace, will you?" Leon leaned back in his chair, already moving to replace his headphones while waving a hand nonchalantly.

Arthur groaned, "Just stay out of trouble."

"You got it, captain!" A smart salute.

"Shut up."

"Whatever you say."

With this, Arthur stormed off to get lunch, and Yao couldn't hold back his snickers anymore.

"You really got to him, aru. Good job, you." Yao mock applauded as he walked up.

Leon glanced over his shoulder, still smiling at the rise he'd gotten.

"Yeah, that brother of mine is always getting his knickers in a twist."

Yao's eyes widened.

Gold.

Melting, swirling, unreadable and half lidded.

But gold.

The teenager, Leon. His eyes were golden.

"B-Brother?" Yao stuttered out.

Leon nodded. "Yeah, he adopted me off the street when he found me. Good for that and all, but he's still bloody annoying half the time. I actually have common sense, but he doesn't seem to think that."

His english was perfect. Of course it would be, if Arthur had taught him, but Yao's heart was pounding harder by the second.

Leon suddenly stood.

"Pardon, I didn't even bother introducing myself. Can't seem to recall if we've met. I'm Leon Kirkland."

He offered a hand.

Yao shook it on muscle memory, his human name 'Wang Yao' escaped his lips, even as he took the seat Leon offered across from the boys own.

Those words _'can't seem to recall'_ were thrumming through his subconscious.

 _Can't seem to recall. Can't seem to recall the fires, or the battles, or the tug of war? Can't seem to recall being dragged by your hair and your robe out of the house and past me, lying bloody on the ground? Can't seem to recall how I begged and offered everything, even myself, as a trade for you to be left alone?_

 _Can't seem to recall my love for you? Our family?_

 _You just can't seem to recall?_

It was mind boggling, but luckily, he snapped out of it at Leon's next question. Spoken in cantonese, which Yao understood, it was only a dialect of his own language after all.

"*Are you chinese?*"

Yao sensed the slight slip of the tongue on the words, Leon clearly hadn't spoken his native language in a long time.

"*Indeed.*" Yao replied, a stiff smile on his face.

The adoptive brother part he could buy. Off the streets he could accept. Even the cantonese accent and asian features were plausible.

But those golden eyes, identical to Yao's, too everyone in his families, in every way, were the give away.

Arthur could take Hong Kong away, take his native language to replace with english. Take his robes and slippers to replace with dress shoes and button ups. Take the oriental music Yao used to play for him as a child and replace it with famous european composers. He could even take his memories of his family and his home. Even take away his own name and replace it with one that the brit fancied. But he couldn't take away those eyes.

They discussed small things, but it seemed Leon throughly enjoyed it.

"*I can't go out much, or go to a normal school or anything, because of Arthur's job with the government.*"

Yao looked saddened.  
"*Thats a shame. I assume you sneak out plenty, hmm?*"

Leon gave him a mischievous smirk.  
"*I'm glad we're not speaking english. If Arthur heard me admit it, he'd kill me.*"

Yao sighed and pressed a palm to his forehead.

"*I know a thing or two about sneaky siblings. I'm the oldest of six. Not to mention I've only got the one sister. The twins have pulled some ridiculous stunts over the years, and most times they'd drag their sister and two brothers into it. I swear I've chased them across the better part of China.*"

He'd actually quite literally chased them all over China. It had happened before. But of course, Leon couldn't be informed of that.

Leon's eyebrows shot up. "*Wow, really? Thats a lot. Arthur's three brothers come and visit sometimes. But me and them don't really have much of a relationship. I don't think they really like the fact that Arthur took me in. I wish I knew why.*"

Yao felt a pang in his heart. He'd spoken with Scotland on the topic of Hong Kong before. Scotland hadn't said much, but he had said he hated what Arthur had done with the kid.

Apparently, he meant how Arthur had wiped Li Xiang's memories somehow.

Yao was going to _kill_ Arthur.

"*Well, all of my siblings, well four of them, and I still live in the same house. Our home has been in our family for centuries*"

 _I mean, it has. Technically. We've just been living there the entire time._

"*Sounds nice. Say, don't you have a meeting?*"

Yao glanced to the side and saw that the meeting had resumed. He'd already given his speech, and didn't really have to be there anyway.

"*Psh, I've rather enjoy some decent conversation then go and deal with those political buffoons.*"

He waved it off with a nonchalant hand. His boss found it hard to get very angry at him, after all, he did have a good 3,950 years or so more experience in these things then he did.

Leon smiled halfway, he didn't seem to show much more then that.

"*Nice. I need some better conversation then Arthur and his asshole friends that always come by.*"

"*Let me guess, Francis?*"

"*How did you know?*" Leon questioned.

Yao's eye twitched once.

"*Oh, Arthur and I have a long, _long_ , trying relationship. Lets just say that.*"

Leon looked intrigued.

"*Did he do something I can use for blackmail? C'mon, hook a guy up, I've been dying for a new set of headphones.*"

Yao shook his head forlornly.

"*He did something horrible that my family never recovered from. We still grieve for it. I wanted to honestly kill him for a while, but then I was forced to make up with him because thats what the government wanted. If it were just between me and him, I'd have shot a punch long ago.*"

Leon looked awed. He hadn't been expecting something that serious.

"*O-Oh. Sorry for dredging that up.*"

Yao shook his head again, firmly this time, even as he sought out any small hint of remembrance in his little brothers eyes.

Empty. Nothing but honestly apologetic features.

"*No, no. It's just not something pleasant to recall.*" Yao sighed, waving his hand.

"*Enough of that depressing stuff.*" He grumbled.

They talked for a while longer until Arthur came around again.

The second he saw Yao with Leon, he froze.

Yao fixed Arthur with a positively murderous glare.

"L-Leon, head on home. I'll be back soon. I have some important things to discuss with Yao." Arthur forced out.

"Oh, you sure do, aru." Yao growled.

Leon sensed the mood and stood, picking up his book before turning to Yao again.

"*Go ahead and punch him. I can cook for myself. I'd die if I ate his food anyway. And come by again, will you? I feel like I've got a better connection with you then I ever could with anyone from my family.*"

Yao gave him a nod, a painful pang echoing through the hallows of his chest.

Of course Leon would have a better connection with Yao. Yao was his real, true family. If only the others had been there. With Kiku, Hyung Soo, Yong Soo and Mei all combined, perhaps they could have forced some memories to the surface?

For now, Yao's hands were tied. He could do nothing but give him a friendly wave.

"*I'll be sure to.*"

The instant Leon left, Yao spun and stalked up to Arthur.

"Yao, _China_ , I can explain, please."

"Oh, you will explain _everything_ , aru. What have you done to my little brother!?" Yao seized the front of Arthur shirt and forced him back against the wall.

"Understand, please! I had to do something! He did nothing but cry and fight and lock himself in his room! He didn't eat, he refused to speak english even though he knew how! I couldn't have it go on like that for all this time!"

"So you stole his memories and his name, aru? You're a monster! He was a child, nothing mentally but a nine year old boy, who was taken from his home and his family! How did you think he would act!? You manipulated him into loving you as a brother, all the while you've been lying through your teeth!" Yao shouted, his voice constricted with emotion.

"Gege!" Taiwan came racing around the corner, she had heard the commotion.

"What are you doing?" She grabbed Yao by the back of his green robe and pulled, dragging him away from Arthur as Japan and the Korean twins joined them.

"That boy out on the patio! The one I saw! That was Li Xiang! I spoke to him! His eyes! They were gold!"

Mei Mei released her grasp on Yao's arm, eyes wide, mouth dropping open slightly.  
"Li...Xiang?"

"Yes! Now this one has taken away everything! Li Xiang thinks his name is Leon _Kirkland_! He didn't even recognize me! He thinks this monster is his adoptive older brother! He doesn't even know he's a representative!"

Now the other asians were ganging up on the lone brit as well.

"Did you want me to let him suffer? I spared him well over a century of that pain!

Yao punched Arthur. Hard.

The briton hit the ground hard, a nosebleed starting up.

"How dare you!" Arthur shouted, leaping to his feet.

That was when he recalled he was surrounded by five very angry asians, all of whom were a lot better at fighting hand to hand then he was.

And he was fresh out of spell books.

"Look, look, look. I honestly had the boys well being in my heart! Despite what you think, I actually care for him! He might not recall you, but he is the same! I never changed his personality!"

Yao narrowed his eyes.

"You think he wouldn't have grown up differently if he had been with us, where he belongs? What sort of twisted love for him drove you to erase everything he is? Does he even know he's from Hong Kong? Does he even know he _is_ Hong Kong?" Hyung Soo fired, even he was seething with rage.

Arthur staggered to his feet.

"You can beat me up all you like, it still won't be enough to convince my government to hand him over."

Yao cracked his knuckles.

"You sure about that, aru? I can hit pretty damn hard." He tempted.

Kiku stepped up calmly, then he leaned forward and whispered something into England's ear.

The brit turned white as a sheet and Kiku gave him a soft smile. "Understand now, England-san?"

"I-I'll..I'll not give in that easy!" Arthur cried out, pale as a sheet.

"Oh? I'll make sure you change your mind." Kiku hummed in a pleasant tone.

England tore off towards the entrance to the meeting hall.

Kiku felt the eyes of all of his siblings on him.

That smile didn't waver.

"I merely reminded him of how many japanese horror demons I have at my disposal."

"Kiku, you seriously scare me sometimes, da-ze." Yong Soo mumbled.

 ** _England's home._**

Arthur arrived back from the final government meeting necessary, exhausted, weary, and worried.

He'd done it.

The hand over of Hong Kong was set.

Now all he had to do was ship Leon off.

But he certainly didn't intend to hand him over without a bit of a struggle to pay Kiku back for that horrifying demon that kept trying to crawl out of his television set whenever he turned it on. It was after two months of that thing chasing him around and jump scaring him everywhere, not to mention the massive amount of bad luck it brought, that he'd finally caved.

He didn't intend on contacting Yao about it. He'd do it quietly, and then they'd finally have what they so desired on their doorstep. With one last spell to break, of course.

Arthur stepped into Leon's bedroom.

"Leon, I need to talk to you."

Leon's lifted one of headphones earpieces off, looking up at Arthur.

"Yeah?" He prompted as classical music was heard as a whisper from the speaker of the headphones.

"I'm afraid I have some difficult news. I've lost your custody."

"Wait...what!?" Leon yanked his headphones off and scrambled out of bed.

Arthur nodded. "But this may be for the better. You remember Yao, right? I asked him to pay me a favor, and take you in, in his home in China with his family, until I've sorted this mess out."

Leon looked shell shocked.  
"I...I like Yao, but I don't just wanna up and move to China!"

Arthur shook his head. "Afraid we've got not choice, lad. At least for now. You knows perhaps you'll like it there? You'll speak your own language. You'll be with your own people and the like."

The younger representation looked horrified.  
"But why can't I just stay with you!?"

Arthur shook his head sadly.  
"Because you belong over there. I'm sorry."

He spent the next few hours consoling a completely unwilling Leon, unable to convince him otherwise. After a while he finally broke him, and the teen dragged himself up the stairs to pack.

 ** _One week later, at the airport._**

Misery was his name as he boarded the plane. Leon thrust his headphones over his ears and tried to let the comforting classical number drown out the sorrows of his life.

How exactly this had happened he didn't understand. Arthur had given him all sorts of reasons, all about custody and laws and other bull. Leon didn't care. He didn't want to leave England.

Yet for some reason, he felt something pulling him in the direction the plane was heading. Apparently, when the plane landed, a driver would be waiting to take him to Yao's house. After meeting the clearly experienced, yet startlingly young looking representative, he couldn't help but wonder what type of home he would be living in for who knew how long.

 _I can't help but imagine something ridiculous like a pagoda, even though I know thats not actually a common thing people live in. I wonder if he lives in the city. I wish I'd asked him about it before when we spoke._

What confused him even more was the fact that, after all Yao had said about Arthur doing something that caused his entire family to grieve, he was doing him such a big favor. This guided his train of thought to how he predicted Yao's house was likely quite large. It had to be fairly big, for Yao said he lived with his entire family, and that he was the oldest of six. That was a pretty large amount of people to house.

As he daydreamed, the plane carried him over oceans, and eventually he came to land in China. A stewardess woke him, seeing as at some point he'd fallen asleep. He thanked her, then exited the plane. He collected his baggage, two simple rolling suitcases and a shoulder bag. The majority of it was clothes and personal items. Plus some of his technology things. Once he landed, he found the driver he'd been told to look for, and his first instinct was the greet him in english.  
Until he realized the world around him bustled with the language he'd grown up with. This got him to thinking, who'd taught him? Strange, he didn't really remember his birth family to well. Or even the living on the streets before Arthur found him. Shrugging it off on how young he'd been, he followed the driver out to the car.

He spent the next hour driving out of the city, and an hour after that through the countryside.

The entire time Leon looked out the window, amazed. It was beautiful out here. He couldn't recall ever leaving England, so this was a massive change of pace. Finally, they were surrounded on all sides by green stalks of bamboo that grew up into the sky, blocking out the sun and casting criss crossed shadows onto the soft green grass.

Something in his heart warmed. He felt vaguely as though he'd seen this forest before.

The driver pulled the car to a halt in front of a centuries old oriental home. It had two floors, and was roughly two buses in length to the front. The house was large, but it didn't feel giant. It fit nicely into the forest, as if it had been grown there along with the towering emerald rods.

Lugging his suitcases out of the car, he checked the backseat for anything he'd forgotten. Insuring he had everything, he thanked the driver and turned towards the house, pulling his suitcases up towards the front door.

 ** _Inside the house._**

"GIVE IT BACK!"

"NO WAY DA-ZE!"

"IT'S MY DAMN TURN!"

"KAMI! I WILL NOT STAND FOR MISSING THE NEXT EPISODE OF MAGICAL GIRL LOVE POWER!"

"THE HELL KIND OF SHOWS ARE YOU WATCHING, KIKU!?"

"IT'S BETTER THEN WAR MOVIES THAT GIVE US ALL FLASHBACKS!"

"FASHION RUNWAY IS ON!"

"NO WAY MEI MEI!"

Yao sighed in exasperation as he stared at the wrestling match that erupted on the floor of his living room, his four, mind you fully grown, over a thousand year old at the least, siblings were fighting over the TV remote.

Yao began to roll up his overly long sleeves, ready to dive into the fight and break it up, when there was a knock on the door.

The fight rolled on full steam, the screaming going on deafening them all to the quiet fist on the door.

Yao furrowed his brow. Living all the way out here in the middle of the forest, it was rare to get unexpected guests.

Walking to the door, he unlocked and opened.

"Hello, what can I..." He began.

His heart stopped at who stood there.

Leon was biting his lip, with a suitcase in each hand and a duffel slung over his shoulder.

"Hey...uh, thanks for helping Arthur out about this..." He mumbled awkwardly, gazing downward and to the side shyly.

Yao frowned, Arthur had told him nothing of this, and he was currently resisting throwing his arms around his little brother in joy, but he reigned himself in, and went with it.

"Of course. I nearly forgot you were coming in today, aru." He laughed as he took own of Leon's suitcases.

"So, how was your flight?"

Leon nodded.

"Good. Um...really, thanks a lot. I didn't think you'd ever do something like this for Arthur, after what you said he's done."

Yao waved a hand, a kind smile on his face.

"Not at all. But what was it Arthur is sending you here for, aru? He only asked me to let you stay here, you see." He praised himself for coming up with such a good reason for an explanation.

"Apparently Arthur lost my custody. Or something like that. I honestly have no idea what is going on. He just told me I have to come stay with you for the foreseeable future."

"Ahhh..." Yao pretended he understood. He saw the underlaying meaning at once. He could almost imagine Arthur speaking now.

 _There, you can have your brother back. But how will you get back his memories?  
_

That was when they entered the living room. Or, at least, they arrived at the large, open arch that led to the living room.

"Whoa..."

Leon gaped at the scene before him.

"I SWEAR YONG SOO IT IS MY TURN!" Mei Mei shrieked.

"MY BRAID, DAMMIT! NO HAIR PULLING MEI!" Hyung Soo cried out as his braid of hair was caught by Mei Mei's fist.

Kiku was still somewhere within the fray, and Yong Soo wasn't losing any ground.

Yao sighed again, massaging his forehead.

"Idiots." He summed up simply.

"Well, the one in the blue kimono is Kiku, Mei Mei is the girl in the pink dress, Hyung Soo is the one in the hanbok with the red vest, and Yong Soo's the one with the hanbok with the purple vest."

Leon frowned as he struggled to pick out each of these descriptions in the pile of nations fighting for the remote.

Then he gave a soft hum, laced with curiosity.

"Wait, wheres the sixth? You said you have five younger siblings."

Yao winced.

"How about we get your things upstairs?"

He said, completely ignoring the question.

The house had only six rooms, and Yao wasn't the type to cling to tightly to the past.

Still, in hopes that one day the teen now trailing behind him up the stairs would return, he kept his former bedroom. It had been modernized for a sixteen year old. Yao had expected Li Xiang to be as old by the time he arrived. At any rate, there was a full bed, the walls were painted red, and there were still some remains of the youngest of the family in the room.

Calligraphy scrolls Li Xiang had done when he was young hung on the walls, and a painting Yao himself had done, of the young boy playing with the pandas in the front yard, hung near the door. Other then this, the room was basically bare. The shelves were stocked with some books that had been left over from Leon's old room, and his old desk was still placed in the corner, along with his dresser.

"Here we are." Yao pulled the suitcase he'd been carrying into the room and set it next to the bed.

"Will this be ok?"

Leon nodded instantly.

"Of course, but...whose room is this? Is this one of your brothers rooms?"

Yao winced again.

He had to come up with some way to avoid Leon asking questions about Li Xiang. It would be to hard to explain to the boy the story of himself without snapping and simply confessing everything.

"It...it is. This is Li Xiang's old room. He...he was my youngest brother. He...well...we lost him several years ago."

Leon looked very well like his heart had stopped.  
"O-Oh...sorry. I didn't mean too..." He hadn't been expecting a response like that.

Yao pressed forward.

"It was Arthur's fault." He spoke plainly.

Leon dropped his shoulder bag. It struck the ground with a soft _thump_.

"What do you mean? What did he do?"

Yao shook his head, looking at his little brother. Begging for some hint of recognition.

 _Nothing_.

"Something completely unforgivable. He took my baby brother from me."

Yao stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him, unable to face Leon with that visage any longer.

He was going to find a way to bring those memories back. He didn't care if he had to start another war over it.

 ** _Upstairs._**

Leon stared at the closed door before swallowing.

 _Someone died...because of Arthur?_

He couldn't wrap his head around it.

He promised himself to ask Arthur about this later. Was there really a dark side to the irritable brit that he couldn't see?

He began to unpack slowly, already deciding he'd stay up in the room for a little while, give Yao time to calm down. It was clear he'd angered him, but he couldn't tell if it was Leon himself that had angered him, or if it was the thought of Arthur's supposedly unbearable deeds.

If Yao hated Arthur so much, then why take in the brits adopted brother? As he unpacked, he opened the bottom drawer of the dresser, and he felt a strange sort of recognition as he gazed upon the old wooden boards.

Why was that?

Hands moving as if by muscle memory, he pulled a loose board from the bottom of the drawer, and removed a dusty, curled old book.

A journal.

Swallowing, Leon made to put it back, when he saw a glint of gold on the cover.

He hesitantly turned the book over in his hands, squinting at the faded paint on the cover.

 _Wang Li Xiang._

His heart pounded painfully in his chest. This was the journal of Yao's dead brother. He shouldn't be looking at this, he should give it to Yao. Maybe it would offer some sort of closure.

Unable to put the book down, though, curiosity overwhelmed him, and he opened to the first page.

* * *

 _January 1st, 1843._

 _Gege says that I'm a representative. Thats what Kiku, Mei Mei, Hyung Soo and Yong Soo are too. I can tell we're related because we all have these funny bright eyes. Gege told me to try and keep a journal because once you get old as him it's hard to remember some specific stuff. Whatever. I'll do it, I guess. He makes me do it to practice my handwriting too. Well, today I met the pandas in the front yard. They were really nice. I really liked them. Maybe they'll come back tomorrow? I really hope so. I'm getting off track. I wanted to write about nations. Apparently every nation has a person who is born the day the nation is founded and dies the day the nation is dissolved. Gege is really old. His nation was founded before the calendar was even invented! We don't even know when his real birthday is. I'm a representative of a city named Hong Kong. It was only founded last year in August, but I just sprang into existence as an eight year old for some reason. Gege says it's really rare for a city to have a representation. He says it means that my little city is destined to be involved in something big. Kiku is Japan. Mei Mei is Taiwan, Hyung Soo and Yong Soo form Korea together, and Gege is China. Thats why he's so old. But he doesn't look old. He looks really young.  
Weird, right?_

 _Anyway, I don't know what else to write about. I guess this is for my future self if I ever forget anything. I wonder if I'll ever even read this again? I hope so. I took a long time to write this. My hand is cramping..._

 _Li Xiang_

* * *

Leon didn't believe it. This date was so old...no one from that time could still be alive, right? Right? Not possible. Leon couldn't deny how pressing the evidence was. Now it explained by Yao acted so mature and experienced but didn't even look a day past twenty one.

* * *

 _April 16th, 1899._

 _I'm scared. Really scared. Everything is being set on fire and Gege is fighting with a man he calls Arthur. I think he's the representative for England. He and Gege are at war. For some reason Arthur keeps trying to take me. I don't wanna leave Gege! I wanna stay here! Kiku is gone, so is Hyung Soo, Mei Mei left too, and Yong Soo can't help. We're trapped. Me and Gege. Should I run away? I don't wanna get caught by England. What's he gonna do if he catches me? I'm really scared. I wanted to write this down that way if someone ever finds it they'll know what happens if Gege can't tell them._

 _..._

 _..._

 _.._

* * *

Leon swallowed at the way the penmanship trembled, and how Li Xiang seemed to be terrified. He didn't know what to think. After several failed attempts by Li Xiang all those years ago to continue writing, he finally managed it.

* * *

 _Oh no, Gege's on the ground. Why isn't he getting up? He's not getting up? England's trying to break down the door to our house! I'm gonna hide under my bed. I'm hiding under my bed. I was watching out the window. He's shattering everything! Why is it so hot? It's hot! No no no, the house is on fire! I've gotta try and run away, if England catches me he'll take me away. I don't want to leave Gege. England can't take me away if he can't catch me. I'll run away into the forest and hide with the pandas. I'll hide my journal in my dresser so no one can find it._

 _He's coming. I can't move. I'm so scared. I don't wanna leave. I wanna stay and play with the pandas. I want to eat Gege's cooking and listen to Yong Soo's jokes. I want to spar with Hyung Soo and play cards with Mei Mei and draw pictures with Kiku. I don't want to go away._

 _I want to stay here._

 _This is home._

 _It's so hot. The house is on fire. Where's England? I can't hear him anymore. Maybe he left?_

 _No._

 _I can hear him. He's coming up the stairs. I can't convince myself to move!_

 _Someone help me!_

* * *

Leon gripped tightly at the journal as he read, the ink was smeared with water. Not water, it had dripped onto the paper.

They were tears. Tears of a terrified child.

* * *

 _What if England does catch me? What will he do with me? Maybe someone will recognize me where ever he takes me. I've gotta be no one but China's brother. Japan and Taiwan and the Korea's brother. We've all got these same eyes. Who else in the world had golden eyes?  
No! He's in Mei Mei's room next to mine! I'm gonna hide my journal and try to run around him and down the stairs! I've got to at least try!  
_

 _Li Xiang._

* * *

Leon's eyed remained locked firmly onto the page. His hands were shaking, his head was pounding from the overstimulation, and he felt awfully nauseous.

Golden eyes.

Who else on earth had golden eyes?

Lifting his head, he gazed about the room in an attempt to see something to distill the creeping suspicion he was getting. He managed the opposite, his eyes landed on the painting by the door, hung neatly on the wall. A painting of a child playing in the grass with several large pandas, grinning, laughing, his eyes sparkled from the page, painted in a brilliant gold.

He had longish brown hair tied back into a ponytail, he was wearing a red robe with black trimmings and white pants that were stained with green grass.

That boy in the painting looked exactly like Leon. A spitting image.

He needed something to calm his nerves. Reaching up, he made to slip his headphones over his ears. He realized, then, that instead of around his neck, where they normally where, the headphones to the MP3 that Arthur had given him, with the music on it, was gone.

But where was it?

 ** _Downstairs._**

Yao dropped the MP3 to the ground just outside the house. He'd pocketed it off of Leon after he'd recognized the strange feeling coming from it.

Kiku and the others were with him, he'd broken up their petty fight to explain the situation to them.

Kiku bent the examine the thing without touching it.

"Ah...I see." he hummed.

"See what?" Mei Mei urged.

Kiku shook his head. "England-san believes he and his friends are the only ones to wield magic in this world. I've been around far to long not to know of its existence. The music in this device has been laced with a spell that placed Li Xiang under a sort of trance. It suppressed his memories of his childhood. Basically, if Arthur could keep him distracted with stories of being taken in off the streets as a very young boy, he could keep Li Xiang from realizing who he was. So long as he stops listening to the music, he should recover his memories. We cannot press him to this, but it will certainly work."

Hyung Soo growled. "But..."

Kiku smiled sadly. "But, since he has been under it's affect for so many years, it will likely take him years to recover his memories. Within that time, he'll become confused and stuck between being Leon Kirkland, and being Wang Li Xiang."

Yao gritted his teeth. "How many years would you think?"

Kiku hesitated. "For as long as he was under the spell, he has to be free of it."

"OVER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS!?" Yong Soo cried out.

"No way!" Mei Mei exclaimed.

Kiku nodded, he was just as distraught, though he hid it much better.

"Perhaps less if he remains with us for all this time. Being here will stimulate his memories to resurface, but by now the spell had weaved itself deeply into his mind. It would take an astronomical level of power to override such a spell. Enough to complete wipe any trace of it from existence. Even if we break the MP3 now, crush it into tiny bits and burn it, it will only take maybe ten years off of the time it will take for Li Xiang to recover."

Yao narrowed his eyes at the device.

Out of no where, he snatched it up, clenched it in his fist.

"Completely eradicate it, you say? No trace to remain? I'll do it. Gladly."

He hurled the device high into the air.

"Gege! What are you..." Kiku exclaimed in shock.

Yao pointed at the device and a burst of fire erupted in a raging storm from his finger, striking the device and causing it to combust into a ridiculous explosion that caused the ground to shake.

Yao drew all the fire that was caused back to him and absorbed it, making sure nothing but the MP3 burned.

Kiku's eyes were the size of tennis balls.

He'd thought _he_ was the only one in the family that was well versed in magic.

Yao shook out his wrist softly, eyes looking cruelly up at the space that had once been occupied by the wicked little piece of technology fused with magic.

"Tch. That enough power for you?" He snapped.

Kiku swallowed his surprise and shrugged.

"We shall see."

 ** _Upstairs._**

Leon cried out as a deafening explosion ripped through the window, a hot, suffocating red glow burned through the window.

And then the impossible happened.

As the scarlet burned through the window pane and was reflected in his eyes, he felt goosebumps travel rapidly up his arms, down his legs. He was trembling, he gave a soft gasp, struggling to figure out what was going on.

What was happening, why?

Where was the fire coming from?

Who caused it?

These feelings were so similar to what he'd felt so long ago, as nothing but a child.

 _He remembered._

A pang of fear slammed into him, he tumbled to the wooden floor as he felt the heat of the fire plague his mind. He felt smaller. For one second, he was seeing the past.

Hiding under the bed, scribbling frantically into the journal now clutched tight to his chest. Heart pounding, tears pouring out and blinding him.

How he'd hidden his journal, how he'd cowered behind his dresser. How he'd looked up into emerald eyes, an overbearing victorious smirk, and that sword tipped with scarlet that caused him to scream.

That man had grabbed his hair, seized him by the arm, dragged him kicking and sobbing out the door.

Past his older brother lying beaten and bloodied on the ground.

"GEGE!"

Leon hadn't spoke, but he felt the scream burn in his throat as the salty tears poured from his eyes.

The body that looked like it might never move again was forced to its knees, a hand reached out. Li Xiang reached toward him, screaming his throat raw.

"Li! Li Xiang! Give him back! Take me! Anything! Just leave him be!"

Yao.

His older brother was not Arthur.

It was Yao.

Yao who had offered himself as a trade and been denied in favor of suffering the next century and a half in guilt that he couldn't win that last fight.

Then the red glow died from outside the window, and he snapped back to the present.

His legs felt like jelly, his hands were shaking so badly now he couldn't even convince his fingers to uncurl from the white knuckled grip they had on the journal.

The journal and the fire outside the window had brought it all back.

This was why Yao couldn't stand to look straight into his eyes. Because they were gold, and this was how he knew that Leon wasn't who he said he was.

He wasn't who he believed he was.

Swallowing hard, he tested the words on his tongue.

"I'm Li Xiang."

It sounded awkward and unpracticed, and he certainly wasn't going to be able to respond to the name right away.

But of all the different ways to describe those words, from the trembling voice to the uncertainly of the tone, you couldn't say that it sounded false.

Because it was true. He'd been nothing but a stranger to himself for all these years.

He was still lying on the ground, propped up by one elbow, the other arm pinned the journal tightly to his chest.

He felt himself started to breath again.

"I'm Wang Li Xiang."

A bit more confident. It would take more practice.

But he would never introduce himself as that false, fabricated name every again. He would never identify himself as Leon Kirkland. He was ready to spit on that name.

Li Xiang hadn't realized he was crying until he felt the wetness against his hand when he touched his cheek.

The cantonese boy rolled over and struggled to his feet, feeling weak.

He could remember everything.

Now that the major hurtle had been cleared, the rest wasn't too hard. Laughing over the table with those smiling golden eyes looking fondly down to him. Mei Mei brushing his hair, which was long like Yao and Hyung Soo's. Kiku teaching him kanji when Yao wasn't looking, then hiding the scrolls behind their backs and lying that they were only drawing in an attempt to dispel suspicion. Pulling pranks on the local villagers with Yong Soo all those years ago. It was so simple. So easy. Those things had occurred over one hundred and fifty years ago, yet he could see them, crystal clear, like they had happened yesterday.

Stumbling down the stairs, he burst out the back door, where the explosion had come from.

Gasping, he looked out at the group of five all staring owlishly back at him.

"Erm...sorry...we were..." Yao began slowly, looking for an excuse.

"...using..." Hyung Soo continued.

"...setting off..." Mei Mei trailed along.

"...bomb tests?" Yong Soo managed weakly.

Kiku merely planted his palm to his face and sighed.

"Not even close." He grumbled.

Li Xiang couldn't believe it, he looked upon the sight with new eyes.

Laughing softly, Li Xiang leaned heavily against the wall on the patio deck.

Yao narrowed his eyes, surprise writ across his features when he recognized the book Li Xiang still couldn't find it within himself to let go of.

He was looking out with exhausted, pinched features.

There they were. Right there.

His family. His real, true, blood family that loved him and fought for him for all this time.

"Thats Li Xiang's old journal." Yao forced the words out.

The boy shook his head slowly.

"No." He mumbled.

Yao froze.

"What do you..."

A soft chuckle escaped.

"This is my old journal."

The world stopped for but a moment. None present seemed to move or breath.

"Yours?"

The boy nodded slowly.

"Mine."

Then, as everything dimmed, Li Xiang felt the world tipping onto it's side. That was odd, even though he swore he was trying to move, his body was falling.

Before he blacked out, he could remember everyone there crying out to him, and he could remember a pair of arms clad in soft overlong silk sleeves wrapping around his shoulders.

"LI XIANG!"

 _Yeah..._

He thought dully as his eyelids drifted closed over molten gold, unreadable orbs.

 _Thats my name._

 ** _Later._**

Li Xiang awoke some time that night, and he found himself lying in bed.

His bed.

In his bedroom.

In his house.

He groaned, now that he could remember it all, he regretted every second that he'd forgotten. How could he be so easily manipulated? He fought against England for years before that music started playing throughout the house, and his memories started to blur. Why didn't he realize it was a spell sooner, and smash that record player to pieces?

It took him a second to realize that five whispered voices were huddled just outside his bedroom door.

"What are we supposed to do, Gege? What if he doesn't remember when he wakes up?"

"Shut up, Mei Mei! He _has_ to!"

"Hyung Soo, not so loud, aru."

"Yeah...sorry...just...the brats been gone for decades, I want him home already."

"Same here, da-ze. Just give it some time."

"Since when are you the voice of reason?"

"Please, everyone, should I go get some empty carbohydrates?"

"Not now, Kiku, aru."

Li Xiang listened to the hushed bickering for a few moments more, smiling up at the ceiling.

They were his family. They really were. It was clear as day now, after those flashbacks, and those memories, everything seemed so obvious. So impossible to forget. He remembered the depressed look in Yao's eyes when he had 'first' met him on the patio. That was why. His manners kept him from prying, but now, thinking back, it was clear why Yao was so keen on avoiding looking Li Xiang in the eye.

Because he didn't want to see the matching ones stare back, yet be unable to do a thing.

He kicked the covers off and sat up, rubbing his head. He felt fine now.

Better then fine. More then anything, he felt at peace. He was out of place in England, an eye sore for Arthur's brothers. For so long he'd pondered why they disliked him so much. Now he knew the truth. It was not him they were repulsed by, but the actions of their little brother Arthur that drove them off. They couldn't stand to see Li Xiang and wonder what Yao, Kiku, Hyung Soo, Yong Soo and Mei Mei were going through.

Thinking back on it, it made sense, and Li Xiang got the feeling that if he were to speak with them now, with this knowledge in his head, that he might actually be able to keep up a conversation. Especially since his mind was clean, and no longer filled with Arthur's lies.

He opened the door, just a crack, and peered out at them. They were huddled around in front of the door in the hallway, still arguing.

It must have been late in the night, it was dark out, and the lights in the hallway were on.

"Li!"

Li Xiang had been spotted, and so he pulled the rest of the door open.

The group looked him over uncertainly, unable to tell exactly how he felt about this all.

Or if he could even recall the events of the previous evening.

"Hey... whys everyone staring?" He asked slowly, looking from face to face.

Yao stepped up finally, didn't seem like anyone else was willing to at the moment.

"Do you..." He hesitated.

"Yeah." Li Xiang confirmed simply.

Yao's eyes went wide when the teen lurched forward and hugged him.

"I remember, Gege."

Yao let out a sort of shuddering gasp, like a weight had just been lifted.

He returned the hug, tightly.

Li Xiang felt someone hug him from the side, he took only a glance to identify Yong Soo. Before long Li Xiang found himself in the middle of a group hug, surrounded on all sides by his siblings.

Warmth spread within his chest, because finally, he was back where he was meant to be. Home used to mean a place to sleep in his mind, a townhouse in London that felt detached and cold. Now he understood what that word meant, and why some treasured it so highly above all else. If home was where he was right now, then he saw why so many people used the word with such reverence.

Right now, he was there.

He was home.

 ** _Several weeks later._**

"I'm not sure about this!" Came a call from upstairs.

Mei Mei giggled. "Oh come on! We're not letting you walk around in boring english clothes anymore! You've gotta fit in!"

"I can't see my own hands!" Li Xiang shouted from upstairs.

The five older members of Eastern Asia were all seated in the living room, trying to convince Li Xiang to come downstairs.

"It is supposed to look like that!" Kiku called back pointedly.

He was flipping absentmindedly through a manga while seated to the far side of the couch. Mei Mei was in the middle, and Yong Soo was splayed out across the remaining side, partially on top of an irritated looking Hyung Soo.

All of them were dressed normally. For them, anyway, with Kiku's kimono, Yao's green and gold robe, Mei Mei's pink and cream oriental flower patterned dress, and the twins with their matching outfits with the vests of different colors.

"Li Xiang, come down already! I'm sure you look fine, aru!" Yao shouted.

"I, like, seriously disagree." The youngest deadpanned.

"Oh for the love of..."

Hyung Soo stood up and went storming up the stairs.

A brief scuffle came from upstairs before the northern twin returned, dragging the youngest of the family behind him by the back of his robe.

He was wearing a red robe with black pants and leg wraps with black slippers. His robe was edged with thick gold and the collar was high up with the buttons of the robe covered with a golden strip down the middle. Horizontal braided golden tassels looped over the front of the robe all the way down to the waist, where it was tied with a gold sash.

"I look like an idiot!" Li Xiang exclaimed, hugging himself self consciously.

"You look so handsome!"

Mei Mei pounced on him, fussing over the sash, tugging up the collar, adjusting the tassels over the buttons and smoothing down his longish brown hair.

"Get off me!"

Hong Kong cried out as he struggled to get away from his sister.

Yong Soo laughed animatedly as he stood. "She does that the each of us practically every morning! She's like our mom!"

"Oy! The last time you tried to leave the house without me checking on you your vest was on backwards and your hair looked like a birds nest!" Mei Mei cried.

Kiku sniggered into his fist.

"You are no better, Kiku! You've tried to leave the house with your kimono inside out before!" Mei Mei shut him down.

Kiku winced. "That was one time..."

"Over a three dozen. _Well_ over three dozen."

"Oh..."

By the time this argument was finished, Mei Mei seemed to be done with hassling over Li Xiang's outfit.

Li Xiang finally straightened up, crossing his arms. "Not cool."

Yao walked up to him with a smile on his face. "It fits you, aru."

Li Xiang eyed the attire, shrugging. "Yeah, I guess."

Yao clapping him on the shoulder. "Well, now you get to deal with that every morning, just like the rest of us!"

Li Xiang groaned. "Fun."

"Hey! Hey!" Yong Soo bounced over, as usual he was an endless bundle of energy.

"What? What?" Li Xiang shot back.

"So, are you gonna grow out your hair like Hyung Soo and Aniki, or are you gonna keep it short like me and Kiku?"

Li Xiang looked discouraged. "Do I have to pick?"

"Yes." The rest of the room echoed unanimously.

Li Xiang sighed, fiddling with a strand of his fine, currently just shy of shoulder length hair.

"I guess grow it, then...I wanted to when I lived with Arthur but he never let me. Said it was 'inappropriate for a gentlemen' or whatever."

"Yes!" Yao and Hyung Soo cheered.

Li Xiang raised an eyebrow at them. "Ok then...it's not something to get that excited over."

He mumbled.

Mei Mei giggled, her fingers covering her mouth in a dainty fashion.

"It's been a war between them for forever. You broke the deadlock as the fifth brother."

Li Xiang snickered. "I guess that makes sense."

He said, giving a small lopsided smile in her direction.

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Eh? What was that for?"

He asked, surprised, blushing slightly with eyes blown wide open.

"I'm just...I'm so happy you're home. You have no idea." The girl murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

The cantonese boy's expression softened.

"Thanks, Mei."

A bell going off in the other room notified them that the phone was ringing.

"I got it!" Hyung Soo called as he strode off into the kitchen, where the phone was located.

Li Xiang trailed behind him in order to get away from Yong Soo yelling at him to change his mind about his hair. Mei Mei came along as well.

When he entered the room he saw Hyung Soo glaring at the wall as he gripped the phone so tightly Li Xiang feared it may break.

"*What the hell do you want, England?*" He growled into the phone.

At the other end of the line, a smug brit delicately sipped his tea as he spoke calmly into the phone.

"*Just calling to check on Leon, is all.*"

"*Thats not his name.*" Hyung Soo growled.

Li Xiang swallowed, getting the feeling that Hyung Soo was about to get a bit protective over the phone.

Arthur smirked at his end of the line. "*Yes, yes, whatever. Thats what he thinks his name is, at any rate. Have you figured out what to do with that _dreadful_ amnesia just yet?*"

Hyung Soo took a breath, about to go off on the man on the other end of the line, when Li Xiang moved up to him, a devilish glint in his eye.

Hyung Soo saw that he was already plotting something as he snatched the phone from his grasp.

"*Arthur? That you, mate?*"'

In an instant Li Xiang had swapped out his speech for the slight british tinge on english that was Leon.

Arthur gave a surprised gasp. "*Leon! I didn't know you were in the room. So sorry about all this, I didn't think it would take this long. Things aren't going as well as I'd hoped.*"

Li Xiang still had that disturbingly evil curve to his lips as he spoke again. "*About that, great news on this end! Yao offered to help me hop the pond for a visit!*"

A shocked silence was on the other end of the line.

"*Really? Thats great! When you thinking?*" Arthur picked the conversation back up after drawing a blank for a few seconds.

"*Yao said it might take him a while to set up, but in a few months at most*"

Arthur gave a bright reply, keeping up his acting skills.

"*Thats wonderful! I'll be waiting on you! Talk to you later.*"

"*Of course! Bye!*"

Li Xiang slammed the phone down into the cradle and spun around.

"I am going to give that caterpillar eyebrow-ed bastard the biggest shock of his damn life!" He snapped.

He bent sharply when he was slapped in the back of the head by his sister.

"Language." She warned.

Li Xiang moaned.

"Hey, I'm plotting revenge, you can't tell me to watch my language."

Mei Mei shook a finger in his face. "I'm not against the revenge, my dear little brother, we are going to make that man _pay_."

 ** _Two months later._**

Arthur was feeling rather proud of himself.

After all, his spell was still holding out perfectly. He called Leon every week or so to check in on him, and always the boy lamented on how much he hated it in China and wished to come back to London.

Arthur pondered just how long it would take before Yao would give up on doing things on his own and beg Arthur to release the spell.

"Not like I could if I wanted to..." He thought, snickering.

Of course it would take as long as Leon was under the spell for him to be released from it. Another century and a half of suffering for Yao before he would finally get his brother back.

Arthur was so busy gloating he didn't even hear the knocking at his door until it was a lot louder.

He opened the door and was shocked to see Hong Kong standing on his doorstep, Taiwan was behind him, and she was glaring with pure hatred at him.

The hatred in her eyes was only rivaled by the look Li Xiang was giving him.

He was dressed like the rest of East Asia, robes, slippers, and leg wraps, his hair had grown out since he'd been gone, and was tied back loosely by a red ribbon.

His eyes burned afire with loathing.

Arthur was so surprised he took a step back.

"Bloody hell, Leon, what did I do to deserve that look?"

"What did you do?" Li Xiang gave a cracked laugh as he forced his way into the house.

"What did you do?" He repeated as he backed Arthur up until he hit a wall.

Li Xiang's teeth were gritted so tightly it must have caused his jaw to ache, but he didn't seem to care. He slammed his palm to the wall to Arthur's left so hard Arthur actually heard the wall buckle slightly at the strength.

Arthur managed to slip under his arm and escape into the living room.

"What sort of lies did they feed you?" He cried, assuming that Yao had told Li Xiang the truth, and he'd actually bought it.

He could turn his believe back in british favor in a heart beat.

Li Xiang scoffed. " _They_ fed me lies? Did they really? I'm sorry, who was it that laced my music with a spell that made me forget my home and my family? Well?"

Arthur was floored.

Both figuratively and literally, seeing as Li Xiang had just punched him in the face.

Arthur hit the ground hard.

"How did they...what happened?"

"You burnt my home down! You nearly killed Gege! All this and it wasn't enough for you? Still? You had to do even more to them? To me!?" His voice broke harshly.

"Leon, listen, please, I did it because I..." Arthur began.

"Don't even _try_ to say you care about me! If you did you wouldn't have erased everything I knew and replaced it with your ideals! You took everything from me! My culture, my home, my family, my memories, even my name! How could you accept the love I used to show for you, knowing it was fabricated by your lies?"

Mei Mei watched from the doorway in shock as Li Xiang poured out the suffering he now felt with his true memories returned, screaming louder then she'd ever heard from him.

Once he was done, he gasped heavily, then, hands still fisted, he snapped.

"Don't you dare come near me again. I won't go easy. You're useless without your stupid spell book. I'll never let you take me away again. You won't put me or my family through any more agony."

With this, he turned on his heel and stalked from the house that held nothing but now tainted memories.

Mei Mei looked up at him in amazement as they made their way back down the street.

"I'm very proud of you. You controlled yourself well." She said finally.

Li Xiang gave an amused huff, "You think I'm finished?"

He turned back around the look at the townhouse, which was now nothing more then a speck at the end of the street.

Several loud whistles filled the air, and Arthur came diving out of the house just before it went up in a spectacular show of fireworks. Sparklers snapped and popped as the flames licked the entire house, the place crackled as fires ate up the wood greedily. Soon enough, nothing would be left but a husk.

"Eye for an eye. After all, he burnt our place, too." Li Xiang scoffed.

"Whoa. When did you even..." She began, astonished.

Li Xiang winked. "I was obsessed with firework displays when I lived here. Used to hide a crap ton that I'd buy for cheap in the basement. All it took was Kiku using his friendly demon to help me get in earlier, and ta-da!" He gestured dramatically at the fiery display.

Mei Mei shook her head before laughing openly. "I can't believe you!" She cried.

Li Xiang smiled before he gave a heavy, beaten down sigh, looking rather exhausted from what he'd faced today.

Today, and for the past hundred and fifty six years.

"Come on."

He offered her an arm, which she took with a warm smile on her face.

"Lets go home."

* * *

 _ **The end! I'm considering a second little add on of this including some light HongIce, going to the World meeting, an encounter with Scotland, and stuff like that. Let me know if you would like to see that! Anyway, thanks for reading, please favorite, please follow and please review! Thanks so much!**_


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